


I Don't Wana Go On Without U

by analog08



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Alcohol, Cuddling & Snuggling, First Kiss, Fluff, Hugging, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-10
Updated: 2018-11-10
Packaged: 2019-08-21 14:30:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16578302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/analog08/pseuds/analog08
Summary: Of course, Link knew that Rhett had more experience with girls. He was the first one to date Amber. However, there was no way of knowing he was talented enough to keep kissing Anna while staring Link down as if nothing had changed.





	I Don't Wana Go On Without U

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't written in a while and just got back into Rhett and Link on a depression binge after not watching since Chia Lincoln era, so if you see errors let me know, please!!!!
> 
> This is based on a real experience they had which they talked about in the ["Which Lipstick Lasts Longest?"](https://youtu.be/_P5VcMlMSOI?t=363) GMM. The song that's mentioned in the fic (and the title) is ["I Don't Wanna Go On Without You" by Nazareth](https://youtu.be/YgaK89MtNNE) which was on [a cassette they made together when they were 10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5itFvGgeqs) and the lyrics fit surprisingly well. kind of. you should listen to it. hope you enjoy the fic!
> 
> Also, I'm trying to italicize stuff and it.............won't. So, I guess it just won't!!!!!!! also also the spacing is fucked, I know. deal with it or fix it for me Lol
> 
> thank you so much to [LinksLipsSinkShips](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LinksLipsSinkShips/works) for giving me advice and encouragement !

They didn’t talk about it.

 

They just walked their bikes to the graveyard midpoint between their homes, side by side in a mildly tense silence. The atmosphere between them wasn’t uncomfortable, per se. It didn’t replicate the feeling that arose after an argument or changing in front of one another, but the tension was palpable and neither boy made a move to remedy it. Each time their shoulders touched they’d subtly shift away, but they found themselves brushing arms again within a few steps. Even when they craved space apart, it seemed like the universe had a way of surreptitiously herding them back together.

It had to have been nearing 4 AM now. The sun hadn’t yet risen but the complete cover of darkness had lifted, their eyes slowly adjusting to the night and the gradual depletion of streetlights. A dog barking faintly and unsynchronized crickets accompanied the sound of their feet shuffling along on the grass and pavement.

Since they were young, Link has had to trail behind Rhett. He had to almost jog to keep up with his taller friends typical gait. Over time, Rhett learned to walk slower or reduce his stride to accommodate his partner. In sixth grade, they’d rushed to the store together to get milk for Rhett’s mom. They’d been in a hurry, but no matter how fast or far he stepped, Link couldn’t seem to catch up to his friend. The shorter boy huffed in annoyance and leaned forward to Rhett’s arm, just barely in his reach. Link’s hand clasped firmly around his bicep and at this, the blonde stilled and turned over his shoulder. A pointed look was awaiting him and he immediately understood what was silently being asked of him. “ _ Slow down. _ ”

 

“Sorry ‘bout that, bo” Rhett said warmly. He felt the grip on his arm loosen and disappear entirely and Link looked away towards the frozen waffles bashfully.

 

“‘S’ okay. Let’s just get the milk before your mom gets mad.” he looked back up at viridescent eyes and a small smile twitched at the corner of his lips. The two set off to the back of the store once again, shoulder-to-shoulder this time.

 

Mama Di scolded them the minute they passed the threshold of Rhett’s front door and the mashed potatoes were done a half hour after supper itself, but Link didn’t mind much. They never had to acknowledge it again after that. Rhett just waited for him.

It’s no different now; he remains a step and a half behind the blonde, but now he has a revived outlook to this position. Never before had he taken in Rhett’s appearance like this. From his vantage point behind Rhett, he noticed how broad his shoulders are- leading up the slope of his sun-kissed nape. He wondered what it would feel like to throw his arms around his friend’s neck, surrendering his body weight into the taller boys chest. Rhett was strong and solid regardless of his height; he’d be able to support them both with no effort. Would he push Link’s hair back too? Link flushed and looked down, resigning to push his bike while only focusing on the ground in front of him.

 

They were about half a mile away from the cemetery when Link stepped hastily and the thin layer of dew on the grass below made him lose his balance. Reflexively, a gasp of air was ripped from his chest and his hand shot forward to catch Rhett’s arm and right himself. His fingers curled around his friend's bicep and he pulled himself up again.

 

He heard a chuckle above him and he muttered back, “Sorry, man.”

 

“‘S’okay” Rhett replied. Link could hear the smile in his voice and he unwound his fingers from his friend's arm and returned it to the handlebar. The testing of his reflexes had his heart racing. His breathing still hadn’t fully returned to normal yet and his mind, unprovoked, supplied him with the memory of the last time his lungs heaved like this.

 

Link swallowed roughly and looked away. “Bike to the graveyard?” He asked, trying to distract himself from the image of his oldest friend mouthing at the sensitive skin behind Anna’s jaw, eyes locked on him.

 

“Yeah,” agreed Rhett, and he stopped walking to sling his right leg over the bike frame and stepped onto the ground below. The smaller boy followed suit and looked over to Rhett for confirmation before starting to pedal in the grass together.

~

Link wasn’t sure what it was that compelled him to open his eyes while kissing Amber, anyway. They knew each other vaguely from Biology class and she was a nice girl. She never really showed an interest in Link. I mean, she smiled at him sometimes and gave him the homework when he was out sick, but that couldn’t be romantic, could it?

 

In retrospect, now that her hand was holding his forearm and they were kissing softly, maybe that  _ was _ a sign.

 

He certainly wasn’t expecting to see Rhett making out with Anna in front of him, green eyes boring down expectantly. Rhett’s left arm was secured around her and his other hand was pushing her long hair back, fingers splayed over her occipital and nape. Link’s eyes flicked to Rhett’s hand and then returned up to his engrossed face.

 

Of course, Link knew that Rhett had more experience with girls. He was the first one to date Amber. However, there was no way of knowing he was talented enough to keep kissing Anna while staring Link down as if nothing had changed.

 

Rhett’s hand tightened in her hair and he tipped her head to the side to kiss hotly under her ear. His eyes didn’t stray from Link’s when he kissed a line up the base of her throat. At that, Link gaped involuntarily and he was grateful that Amber hadn’t yet caught on to what was going on between the two boys. Instead, she took it as an invitation to deepen the kiss, her tongue reaching out to drag lightly against his. At any other time, Link would be weak in the knees at the prospect of kissing a girl like this, but this moment felt too surreal. He couldn’t be the one to bring them out of their reverie.

 

Link tightened his hands around Amber’s waist and he felt her teeth graze at his lower lip. He couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like to have a hand in his hair, keeping him grounded and compliant and connected. If he didn’t before, Link longed for it now.

 

Anna brought her hand up, caressing Rhett’s jaw. That seemed to shock him back into reality and he retreated from her neck and looked at her.

 

“I think we gotta get going, Anna.” His eyes glanced over, already knowing Link would still be staring back with eyes half-lidded but locked on him. “It’s getting late.”

 

_ We. _

 

Link didn’t say anything, just closed his eyes and went back to kissing Amber like nothing had happened and Rhett hadn’t just signaled for them to leave.

 

“Link?” came Rhett’s voice, loud enough that he couldn’t ignore it this time. Amber’s hand left his arm and she pulled away. When he felt her mouth leave him he opened his eyes reluctantly, not wanting to face the gravity of the situation.

 

“Yeah?”

 

As if he wasn’t feeling turbulent enough- when he answered his voice failed him and cracked at the beginning of his response. Thankfully Rhett didn’t use the opportunity to make fun of him.

 

“You ready to go soon? We’ve only got a few hours left ‘til our folks are up.”

 

Link didn’t trust his vocal cords to comply after that, so he just nodded and looked back at Amber. She gave him a small smile. “See you Monday?” Her voice was unsure and one of her hands came up to run through her hair.

 

He smiled back warmly. “Absolutely. Goodnight, Amber.” His eyes flicked over to Rhett and he nodded. The older boy turned and began weaving his way through the party, throwing a look over his shoulder to make sure Link’s following behind him.

 

Of course, he is, albeit lagging behind a foot or so, ducking through the crowd. When Rhett faces forward, he sidesteps just in time to avoid running into a redheaded girl carrying 3 full Solo cups. The girl-  _ Emily? _ chastises him and he mumbles a sheepish apology, not meeting her gaze again.

 

Once Rhett reaches the front door, he holds it open and Link ducks underneath his arm. They’re about four steps away from the house before Link breaks out in peals of laughter, holding his arms over his midsection.

 

The green-eyed boy chuckles under his breath and asks, “So you saw that, huh?”

 

Link nods his head through laughter and slowly calms down. “That was a close one, bo. She looked like she wanted to kill you.” The shorter boy ambles over to their bikes, discarded at the top of the driveway. Rhett follows behind him, giggling occasionally at the earlier interaction.

 

Link reaches down, grabbing the frame of their bikes and pulling them both to a standing position. He tips his friends bike towards him and Rhett takes hold of his handlebars, thanking Link quietly.

 

“No problem,” came Link’s voice, equally soft. They’re both silent for a moment and Link shifts his weight nervously. He swallowed a lump in his throat. “Bet I can beat you to the hill.”

 

Rhett’s face broke out into a grin and he shot back, “You’re on.”

 

With that, the two scrambled onto their bike seats and began peddling rapidly.

  
  


Link won.

  
  


~

 

They both sat on their bikes, the roiling undercurrent of hesitation to separate hung unspoken within their exchange. Link would steer the conversation towards the time, how tired he was, homework due Monday… but Rhett would sense the looming announcement of departure and change the subject before it could come to a close. Link wanted to put his foot down, rip the bandage off and say goodbye for the night. They’d be seeing each other soon enough, anyway. Link knew that he should get going if he wanted to make it home by sunrise, but he continued to let Rhett convolute the conversation. He was just as reluctant to leave as Rhett was.

 

“Party was crazy, man. I didn’t even know Amber liked you like that.” Rhett sat back on the seat of his bike, leaning his weight there and crossing his arms before continuing, “You goin’ with her?"

 

Link laughed for a beat before he stopped himself. “I don’t think so. I don’t know if I like her like that,” he muttered, letting his head loll down between his arms tensed on the handlebars. He made no move to look up yet.

 

Rhett was silent aside from his pointed exhales. When he spoke again it was much lighter in tone, encouraging Link without pushing him. “What d’you mean?” Link looked up at him then and let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

 

“I dunno, man. She’s nice and all. I don’t not like her. I just… it felt weird kissing her. Before um…” he trailed off and the two boys were instantly on the same page- remembering their earlier staredown, faces flushing. “It was weird the whole time. I’ve only known her a few months, you know? Who knows what kind of germs she could have?” Link immediately regretted saying it, knowing how insensitive it must sound, but Rhett cut him off before he could go farther than opening his mouth to clarify.

 

“I think I understand what you mean. Maybe you should take her out on a date and it won’t feel as weird?” The blonde suggested, gingerly.

 

“Yeah, maybe…” Link replies noncommittally, biting the inside of his cheek.

 

They sat back on their bikes then, looking towards the road and both wallowing in the latency of the moment. Not wanting to be the one acknowledge the change in the air between them, but both yearning for the conversation to come to a head.

 

Link cleared his throat. The night had already gone oddly enough, why break the spell now?

 

“Can I… can I kiss you to see if it’s different?” Link asks tentatively. Whether it’s Rhett drawing a sharp breath or the wind whistling, he doesn’t know, but he continues on anyway. “I mean, I don’t really know anyone else as well as I know you. I think… if there’s anyone I had to kiss it’d be you. I know that’s probably weird to ask...” he trails off.

 

Link’s eyes are downcast, focused on the in-ground headstones off to his right. He doesn’t know if he can bear to look at Rhett’s face right now. There’s a pregnant pause, where the only sound is the crashing of Link’s blood pulsating in his head and the consistent drone of crickets nestled away within the cemetery.

 

When he looks up he sees his friends hands fidgeting nervously on his handlebars and Rhett’s head is turned the opposite direction, seemingly bracing himself for his own response.

 

“Yeah.” The blonde replies, turning his head left to look at Link. The tips of his ears are tinged pink, blessedly concealed by the night.

 

Their eyes meet and they can only just distinguish one another’s facial features. Rhett blinks a few times nervously. What if Link is pullin’ his leg? Rhett hears him take in a slow, uneven breath and the shorter boy walks his bike forward, aligning their front wheels so they stood to face each other.

  
  


After a decade of doing nearly everything together, they didn’t need to see every flash of emotion travel across the others face to be on the same page. They’d spent countless nights pretending to sleep and talking groggily late into the morning, voices hushed and listening intently for their parent's footsteps. Rhett had honed his abilities to read Link’s body language in the dark. A question too personal would trigger a quick inhale, sucked in through Link’s teeth. The taller boy would quickly change the subject, not wanting to end the conversation- especially not on a weird note. It would be uncomfortable for a moment, but they’d quickly move past it and fall asleep early in the morning, tension long forgotten.

  
  


Link was looking up at him expectantly now, and he tipped his chin up slightly. Non-verbally willing the other boy to close the distance between them.

  
  


How could Rhett deny his best friend?

  
  


He takes his hand off his bike and moves it up to Link’s arm, just below his shoulder. He swears he can feel the skin of his palm vibrating just from the touch. And then he leans in.

 

Link’s eyes dart around his face before settling on Rhett’s lips and his eyes flutter closed. The shorter boy stands on the balls of his feet and they’re kissing now and Link instantly feels like he’s out of breath. His hand comes up to hold the blonde's shoulder and he misses, grabbing a handful of his t-shirt sleeve instead. Their lips are barely touching and it almost tickles but it’s already so much better than kissing Amber, Link concludes. Rhett’s other hand comes up to rest on Link’s hip and their bikes fall into each other, locked together like a house of cards. The force of them both meeting with equal pressure.

 

Behind his eyes, Link sees black and white patterns flowing and that combined with the sensation of the most evocative kiss of his life is almost too overwhelming. His left hand reaches out to Rhett’s cheek, seeking something to ground himself. When his hand lands on Rhett’s face and neck he’s shocked by how hot the skin under his palm is. The older boy’s hands move to snake around Link’s back and waist and suddenly they’re chest-to-chest and it’s at this point that Link remembers he needs to breathe.

  
  


A sound in the distance- tires running over gravel, shocks the two back into reality and they pull apart quickly. Rhett’s eyes dart to the right and in the distance, he can see a car coming around the bend in the road. Thankfully, they’re too far away to have seen anything. He sits down on his bike seat and uses his heels to roll backward a few inches, not meeting Link’s gaze until the car passes them and disappears behind the trees. When he looks up he can see that Link’s arms are crossed and he’s worrying his lower lip between his lips, but he can’t make out the look spreading across his face.

 

After a beat, Link speaks quietly. “That was close.”

 

Rhett swallows a lump in his throat and nods.

 

“We can’t do this here.” Link uncrosses his arms and sits down on his bike, matching Rhett. If someone had seen them… Link doesn’t want to think about it. His leg immediately starts bouncing in place, energy needing somewhere to escape. “Sleep at my house tonight…?” He immediately flushes and drops his head down, refusing to meet Rhett’s eyes.

 

The blonde hesitates and Link wills the ground below to close in on him, blanketing him in dirt like the bodies under them. At least there, buried beneath the soil, he wouldn’t have to face the repercussions of his actions. Rhett spoke then, tearing Link away from his thoughts.

 

“I told my parents I was gonna be at Zac’s studying…” his voice sounds strained like he’s searching for an answer.

 

“My Mom can call your Dad!” he supplies hastily. “She wakes up early for work; I can leave her a note on the fridge to call him.” The younger boy’s voice slowly decrescendos, trying to act casually. “We can say Zac kept snoring or got sick or somethin’ and we had to leave.”

 

Rhett’s tongue comes out to wet his lips and he grabs his handlebars with zeal, now. “Yeah, that works. Wanna get goin’?”

 

Link nods.

 

They start their newfound journey from the cemetery to Link’s house and when their shoulders grazed this time, they made no move to reorient their bodies or their bikes. Once their sneakers left the grass and transitioned onto concrete Rhett broke the silence to ask, “Bike to your house?”

 

Link didn’t know if he trusted his voice to work properly given the energy of the whole night and what just happened so he just hums in approval and steps over his bike. Rhett follows suit and the two start cycling on the roads towards Link’s.

 

The younger boy is lost in his own head, still reeling over the events of the night (and morning, by now). What did this mean for them? What would they do if anyone found out? He was passively grateful that Rhett had taken the lead to his house, as he’s currently spiraling in his own head. Link hadn’t completely checked out, but he was internally trying to list the pieces of undeniable reality and assess the more surreal moments for validity. There was a faint burning in his throat and belly but he couldn’t have drank enough to imagine this up.

Could he?

 

Before he could begin worrying about the possibility of hallucinating the entire night, a soft noise snaps him out of his thoughts. It took him a moment to recognize the sound - Rhett whistling to himself quietly, and another moment to realize the song. When he did, a small smile spread across his face and he blushes.

 

Link takes in a breath and starts responding in harmony with Rhett and the taller boy turns over his shoulder to throw him a smile. In response, Link stands up and pedals quickly to catch up, sitting back down and resuming the collaboration once they were riding alongside one another. The internal struggle dissipates as they whistle a love song together. Words left comfortably unspoken.

  
  


A block away from Link’s house Rhett rolls to a stop and suggests walking their bikes back just to be safe. They dismount and push their bikes along the curb to Link’s home. When they arrive, they drop them off on the lawn on the side of the house.

 

They both silently thank God that Sue is a heavy sleeper as Link pulls up the welcome mat and retrieves a key, entering the house through the back door. As soon as they step inside they take off their sneakers, hoping to avoid any unnecessary noise. Why risk it?

 

The sun is just starting to come up over the horizon, now. The kitchen is being faintly illuminated by light, not yet able to fully make its way through the trees. They can see each other face to face for the first time since the party. Rhett got out of his shoes first, toeing them off and then leaning against the counter to look at his friend. Link had resigned to sitting on his floor to take off his sneakers. Perhaps high-tops weren’t the practical choice. Rhett wouldn’t deny that they looked good on him, though.

 

Green eyes roamed over the dark-haired boy appreciatively. Never before had Rhett noticed how truly beautiful his friend was. Of course he thought his friend was handsome; That sort of loyalty was required from a best friend, similar to when he punched John in third grade for making fun of Link. But in the rising sun, Link’s tanned skin almost glows. He’s got one leg extended and one propped up, chin resting on his knee to untie his laces. Rhett can’t believe he never noticed how long his eyelashes were.

 

Link finally finished fumbling with his shoestrings and he grabbed the heels of his shoes, tugging them off. After they're both off, he kicked them toward the kitchen table and looked up at Rhett, grinning.

 

Rhett smiled back and offered a hand to help Link up from the kitchen floor. It was taken graciously and Rhett pulled Link up to stand.

 

Once Link was standing he looked over to the clock above the oven to check the time, 6:16 AM.

 

“My mom wakes up for work in half an hour, I still gotta write her that note.”

 

Rhett nods silently in agreement and hesitates for a second before taking a step forward and pressing an ephemeral, but passionate kiss to Link’s soft cheek. When he pulled away, the shorter boy impulsively reached behind Rhett’s back to crash himself into his chest. Link felt the chuckle more than he could actually hear it and Rhett’s right arm draped over his back to secure him to his body.

 

The shorter boy stayed there with his eyes shut and his head slotted in the crook of Rhett’s neck. A few moments passed, Link listening to Rhett’s heartbeat and Rhett rubbing his scapula calmingly. Link sighed and looked up at Rhett.

 

“I have to write that note.”

 

The taller boy lets go of Link and the loss is immediately present. “Yeah…”

 

By now, the clock reads 6:22. Link bites the inside of his cheek and mumbles his request.

 

“Kiss me…?”

 

He sees the smile spread across Rhett's face as he leans down to meet Link. The blue-eyed boy brings a hand up behind Rhett's neck and pulls him down into a fleeting kiss. It’s tender and slow and Rhett’s hands creep lightly across Link’s sides and settle fully on his hips, resting there to connect himself more to the body below his fingertips.

 

Link sighs dreamily when they separate and his eyes stay downcast. He clears his throat quietly before stepping back and pulling open a drawer. Link retrieved the paper and pen, turning back to look at Rhett.

 

“Go on, I’ll be there in a minute.” Immediately he’s putting the paper on the kitchen table and scribbling out a message for his mother to find.

 

Rhett nods to himself, smiling at the domesticity and starts on his way to Links bedroom, making sure to pause when he hears the house creak under his feet. He makes it there without waking Link’s mom and he’s eternally grateful.

 

He reaches behind his neck to grab at his collar and he pulls it off, shirt brushing against the taut muscles of his back. When he began undoing his belt he realized he had to muffle the metallic sounds and he wrapped a hand around the buckle to secure the moving parts as he removed his jeans. If it were his room Rhett would just throw his clothes on the floor but he knew that would bother Link, even if he wouldn't say it. After his jeans were removed, he folded them along with his shirt and put the pile on the ground near Link’s bed.

 

Rhett stood alone in Link’s bedroom, in green boxers and his socks, unsure of where to lay down. Sure, Link’s tongue was in his mouth less than 30 minutes ago and they’d shared beds before, but maybe sleeping in the same bed was overstepping a boundary for Link. He crossed his long arms across his bare chest in silent contemplation.

 

After a half minute of hesitation, he decides against sleeping on the floor and moves one of Link’s pillows to the foot of the bed, laying down with his back pressed tight against the wall. He doesn’t get under the blankets; He’d wait for the other boy to field that decision.

  
  


In the kitchen, Link is trying to write as quickly as he can whilst still being legible.

  
  


“ _ Can u call Rhett’s Dad + tell him we’re here when u wake up? We were supposed to sleep at Zac’s but he snores + we couldn’t sleep so we biked back here. Also can u let us sleep in please _

 

_ Love you Mom _ ”

  
  


Link pulled the pen back away from the decorative paper and pursed his lips. It’d work. He stepped towards the fridge and slid the paper under a magnet near the handle, guaranteed to be noticed by his Mom later that morning.

 

The brunet stands there for a moment, racking his brain for anything else he might need to do before falling asleep. Once he’s mentally double-checked everything he tiptoes through the kitchen and hallway to his bedroom. When he enters the doorway he’s greeted by Rhett smiling up at him, laying the wrong way on his twin bed. He furrows his eyebrows but doesn’t say anything, just closes the door and begins getting ready for bed.

 

Link leans down to hook his fingers into his socks and tugs them off. When he rights himself he remembers that Rhett’s there, watching him openly and a blush creeps over his face. His hands reach to pull his shorts down and if they’re shaking a little, well, neither boy would admit to it. He looks towards the floor and steps out of the fabric, knowing himself too well to give his clumsiness an opportunity to rear its ugly head.

 

He doesn’t lift his eyes from the floor as he walks over to his bed to sit down on it halfway. Their eyes meet then, and Link reaches forward to grasp Rhett’s bicep and tug him upwards. He doesn’t have to pull much before Rhett understands what he wants and he sits up compliantly.

 

When he’s upright Link’s hand leaves his arm and winds around the back of Rhett’s neck, gently putting their foreheads together. Immediately his eyes close and he asks quietly, “Why you layin’ like that, man?”

 

He hears a nervous chuckle from his friend and he opens his eyes and leans back to look at Rhett.

 

“Just… didn’t know what this was. Didn’t wanna be weird.”

 

Link laughs loudly before he can catch himself and they both still, Links hand going stiff on Rhett’s nape. They stay quiet for a minute, heartbeats pounding in their ears as they listen for any sign that they’ve woken up Link’s mom. After a minute the two relax and look at each other, grinning and trying to hold back even more laughter.

 

They calm down and Link looks up at Rhett softly. “I don’t know what this is either, bo. But you don’t gotta sleep like that.”

 

Rhett lets out a hissing exhale and leans forward into Link, his forehead pressing against Link’s neck. The smaller boys hands come up to cradle Rhett’s back, palms pressed to the tan skin. He had to lean uncomfortably to the left to do so, but it was well worth the sacrifice, in his opinion.

 

Link held Rhett close, sun fully risen by now, hands rubbing into the muscles of his back. Rhett had always been bigger than him, but in his arms he seemed so small and placid. He could feel the tension his friend held melting away with each passing second. Hands ghost over his ribs, down his sides, to the warm indentation of the small of Rhett’s back. One of Link’s hands remained there, pressed flush against Rhett’s body while the other moved back up to wind around his shoulders and pull them closer together. Almost frantically, Rhett’s long arms leave his sides to wrap loosely around Link’s waist.

  
  


After a few minutes, Link spoke quietly.

 

“We don’t have to talk about it right now.” Rhett’s breathing paused for a second, but then he exhaled softly and nodded into Link’s throat.

 

At that, Link moved his hand away from Rhett's spine and up to the short hair on the back of his head. “Time for bed, bo.”

 

When Rhett’s head came up, his eyes remained closed and Link leaned in to press a gentle kiss to his lips. Link’s nails accidentally run over his scalp and Rhett sighs into their kiss. When Link pulls away Rhett leans forward, desperate to prolong the moment; Rhett’s hands coming up to frame Link’s face. He gives Link a slow, loving kiss and then leans back to look at him, the two still cradling each other.

 

Face beet red, Link slowly removes his hand from Rhett’s head and clears his throat. The older boy can’t help the smile that creeps across his face. Begrudgingly, he retracts his hands too, leaving behind the flushed skin of Link’s cheeks.

 

“Time for bed,” Rhett murmurs in agreement.

 

They both rearrange themselves- Link moving backwards to slide underneath the duvet and Rhett rotating to redirect his legs to the foot of the bed. As Rhett goes to lay down atop the blanket, Link’s quiet voice halts his movements.

 

“You can share the blanket if you want to, man.” He can’t look up to gauge Rhett’s reaction. He’s too worried about crossing some boundary, as if they had any to begin with.

 

When Rhett responds with, “You sure?” it takes all of Link’s willpower to not sigh in relief. He knew that they were both nervous, but he took great solace in the fact that he wasn’t alone in second-guessing his every move right now. “Yeah.” Link grabs the corner of the blanket and yanks it back and his friend quickly gets his legs under the covers as well. Once Rhett’s situated, he throws the duvet back over Rhett’s body and smiles up at him gently.

 

Rhett beams back at him and then yawns. “Night.”

 

“Night, Rhett.” Link responds quietly, turning to lay on his back and resituating the pillow beneath his head.

 

The taller boy turns so his body faces Link’s bedroom wall and slides closer to give Link more space in his bed. He’s only got his eyes closed for a few minutes before he feels movement under the blanket and a second later, warm fingertips on his shoulder blade. Rhett chuckles soundlessly and Link’s hand runs over his spine and neck.

 

Rhett lets this go on for a while, light touches graduating to Link’s thumb rubbing circles into his back. When Link gets to the top of Rhett’s back he reaches up, capturing Link’s hand under his own. The gentle movements still under his touch.

 

He doesn’t know what’s gotten into him but he draws in a deep breath and thinks, “ _ Fuck it, we've already come this far tonight. _ ”

 

“Can you…” Rhett swallows and gives up on the rest of his request.

 

Link waits a second before asking, “What, Rhett?”

 

Rhett doesn’t bother finishing his sentence, he just curls his fingers around Link’s hand and gently tugs forward.

 

“Oh… Yeah.” Link replies, leaning on his elbow and inching forward to get closer. Rhett’s hand leaves Link’s and he curls his arm in front of him. The hand that previously dragged along his spine came to rest flat against his ribcage and then Link stopped moving forward, his chest almost touching Rhett’s back.

 

A soft noise comes from the back of Rhett’s throat and he reaches to interlock their fingers and gently pull Link forward again.

 

Link laughs and Rhett feels his breath dance across his bare skin, shortly thereafter replaced by the pressure of Link’s chest and the cotton of his t-shirt.

 

The arm around his waist tightens and he feels soft lips at the juncture between his neck and shoulder. “You can ask me anythin’... you know that.”

 

Rhett’s cheeks flush and he rubs his thumb over Link’s.

 

There’s a beat of silence before Rhett speaks, almost inaudibly. “Love you, bo.”

 

He can feel Link’s smile against his skin, and a second later feels him respond, “Love you, too.” Link leans in and peppers soft kisses down Rhett’s neck and shoulder. Rhett rarely displayed his affection so blatantly and the younger boy wasn’t going to take this moment for granted. His arm tightens around Rhett’s chest and Link leans his forehead against him, nosing at the back of Rhett’s neck.

 

They fall asleep there; Rhett’s hand holding Link’s close to his heart, the younger boys legs and chest pressed flush against his, neither understanding where last night would take them but both eagerly awaiting it.


End file.
